Mountain Agenda – UNCED 1992

1. Introduction : The aims of the Mountain Agenda Mountain Agenda is an NGO initiative designed to draw the attention of governments and their policy advisors as well as the general public to the unsustainable exploitation of mountains, both in the north and the south, and to the neglect of the world’s mountain heritage. The purpose is to start remedial action before it is too late. The best occasion is the world environmental stocktaking due at UNCED. Mountain Agenda consists of a core of wr..

Late-glacial and early Holocene lake sediments, ground-water formation and climate in the Atacama Altiplano 22–24°S

Precipitation rates in the Atacama Altiplano 22–24°S were 400–500 mm yr−1 during late glacial and early Holocene times as opposed to 200 mm yr−1 today. This humid phase (Tauca phase) was likely due to strengthened tropical (monsoonal) circulation, which brought continental moisture to the Atacama Altiplano. The lake level of Laguna Lejía (23°30′S, 4350 m) at that time was up to 25 m higher than it is today. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca data from lake sediments show that, what today is a highly saline lake was a freshwater lake at that time. Seasonally-laminated calcareous sediments were deposited between 13 500 and <10 400 yr B.P. indicating the maximum of the humid phase. Climatic changes in the past are important for current groundwater resources.14C and3H data from lake-, ground- and well water suggest that modern groundwater formation (i.e. water <40 years) in the Altiplano is very limited under current arid conditions. We conclude that significant amounts of the water resources in this area originated during the time of the late-glacial and early Holocene humid climate. Tritium data from snow samples show that the moisture in the Altiplano at 22–24°S is mainly of continental origin, whereas precipitation from the westerlies hardly contributes to the water supply in this area. This precipitation pattern matches the paleodata, and we suggest that current precipitation formation may provide an analogue framework for late-glacial circulation in this area

Mountain Agenda – UNCED 1992

1. Introduction : The aims of the Mountain Agenda Mountain Agenda is an NGO initiative designed to draw the attention of governments and their policy advisors as well as the general public to the unsustainable exploitation of mountains, both in the north and the south, and to the neglect of the world’s mountain heritage. The purpose is to start remedial action before it is too late. The best occasion is the world environmental stocktaking due at UNCED. Mountain Agenda consists of a core of wr..

Mountain Agenda – UNCED 1992

1. Introduction : The aims of the Mountain Agenda Mountain Agenda is an NGO initiative designed to draw the attention of governments and their policy advisors as well as the general public to the unsustainable exploitation of mountains, both in the north and the south, and to the neglect of the world’s mountain heritage. The purpose is to start remedial action before it is too late. The best occasion is the world environmental stocktaking due at UNCED. Mountain Agenda consists of a core of wr..

Imaging characteristics and diagnostic accuracy of FDG-PET/CT, contrast enhanced CT and combined imaging in patients with suspected mycotic or inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysms

PURPOSE To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and specific imaging characteristics of positron emission tomography/computed tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (PET/CT), contrast enhanced CT (CE-CT), and a combined imaging approach (CE-PET/CT) in patients with infectious/mycotic (MAA), inflammatory (IAA), and non-infected, non-inflammatory abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). MATERIALS AND METHODS In this single-center retrospective cohort study, all imaging data sets of 29 consecutive patients with clinically suspected MAA or IAA were anonymised with different, reshuffled identification numbers and retrospectively and independently analysed by two experienced readers, blinded to all clinical patient data. Readers determined the presence or absence and MAA, IAA and AAA and of predefined imaging characteristics (e.g. fluid collection), and measured metabolic activity and wall thickness of all aneurysms. A multidisciplinary team of specialists served as standard of reference and re-evaluated every clinical case, considering all clinical, laboratory, microbiological, histopathological and imaging results, including all follow-up examinations. RESULTS Diagnostic accuracy was higher in PET/CT as compared to CE-CT in differentiating AAA from MAA and IAA: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) 0.81 (95% confidence intervals 0.69-0.92) and 0.63 (0.52-0.74) (P = 0.027). Specific imaging characteristics were significantly associated with different types of aneurysms (P<0.05), i.e. very high metabolic activity and dorsal sparing of metabolic activity in PET/CT and wall thickening in CE-CT were indicative for IAA; fat stranding and fluid collections in CE-CT were associated with MAA; while low metabolic acitivity and absence of wall thickening in PET/CT, and less fat stranding and absence of wall thickening in CE-CT were indicative for non-infected, non-inflammatory AAA. CONCLUSION Specific imaging characteristics of PET/CT and CE-CT may be helpful in differentiating between MAA, IAA, and non-infected, non-inflammatory AAA

Remote sensing combined with social-ecological data: The importance of diverse land uses for ecosystem service provision in north-eastern Madagascar

Through ongoing deforestation in the tropics, forest-related ecosystem services are declining, while ecosystem services provided by agricultural land uses are on the increase. Land system science provides a framework for analysing the links between land use change and the resulting socio-environmental trade-offs. However, the evidence base to support the navigation of such trade-offs is often lacking, as information on land use cannot directly be obtained through remote sensing and census data is often unavailable at sufficient spatial resolution. The global biodiversity hotspot of north-eastern Madagascar exemplifies these challenges. Combining land use data obtained through remote sensing with social-ecological data from a regional level household survey, we attempt to make the links between land use and ecosystem service benefits explicit. Our study confirmed that remotely sensed information on landscapes reflects households’ involvement in rice production systems. We further characterized landscapes in terms of “ecosystem service bundles” linked to specific land uses, as well as in terms of ecosystem service benefits to households. The map of landscape types could help direct future conservation and development efforts towards places where there is potential for success

Prediction of benzimidazole therapy duration with PET/CT in inoperable patients with alveolar echinococcosis

Alveolar echinococcosis is a rare parasitic disease, most frequently affecting the liver, as a slow-growing tumor-like lesion. If inoperable, long-term benzimidazole therapy is required, which is associated with high healthcare costs and occasionally with increased morbidity. The aim of our study was to determine the role 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in staging of patients with alveolar echinococcosis and to identify quantitative imaging parameters related to patient outcome and/or duration of benzimidazole therapy. In this single-center retrospective cohort study, 47 PET/CT performed for staging in patients with confirmed alveolar echinococcosis were analysed. In 43 patients (91%) benzimidazole therapy was initiated and was successfully stopped after a median of 870 days (766-2517) in 14/43 patients (33%). In inoperable patients, tests for trend of survivor functions displayed clear trends for longer benzimidazole therapy duration (p = 0.05; n = 25), and for longer time intervals to reach non-detectable serum concentration of Em-18 antibodies (p = 0.01, n = 15) across tertiles of SUVratio (maximum standardized uptake value in the echinococcus manifestation compared to normal liver tissue). Hence, in inoperable patients with alveolar echinococcosis, PET/CT performed for staging may predict the duration of benzimidazole therapy